BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe announced Wednesday that he is appointing Jessica Bax as the next director of the Missouri Department of Social Services.

Bax, who is currently the director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities for the Department of Mental Health, will become acting director of DSS effective Jan. 13. She will then need to be confirmed by the state Senate.&nbsp;

“Jess brings valuable experience working with state and local agencies and successfully building partnerships with stakeholders to this role,” said Kehoe in a press release Wednesday.

“With her extensive knowledge of social service programs, the budget and legislative process, and her passion for providing quality service to the people of Missouri, I am confident she will bring excellent leadership to the Department of Social Services,” Kehoe added.

Prior to her time with the Department of Mental Health, Bax worked at the Department of Health and Senior Services as director of the Division of Senior and Disabilities Services.

She will replace&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/17/leader-of-missouri-social-services-agency-stepping-down-for-new-job-in-poplar-bluff/">Robert Knodell,&nbsp;</a>who served in the role for three years and recently accepted a job to be the city manager of Poplar Bluff, his hometown.

The Department of Social Services&nbsp;oversees foster care, Medicaid, other public assistance programs and services for delinquent youth.&nbsp;

“I am humbled at the opportunity to serve in the Kehoe Administration and the people of Missouri in this capacity,” Bax said in a press release. “I look forward to working on streamlining operations, program integrity, and incorporating national best practices to help all Missourians have access to the tools they need to be safe and healthy.”&nbsp;

Over the last few years, the agency has faced criticism for its administration of public benefits.&nbsp;

A federal judge earlier this year&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/09/federal-court-rules-missourians-were-illegally-denied-food-aid-by-the-state/">ruled</a>&nbsp;Missourians were illegally denied food aid by the state due to hourslong call center wait times for participants to receive a required interview.&nbsp;

The state has also struggled to meet federal guidelines for its processing of Medicaid applications. The department in its budget request to the state legislature is asking for $11 million to hire 220 new staff in the Family Support Division to help ensure the agency complies with federal and state rules on timely processing, and “maintains a reasonable wait time in the call centers,” the budget&nbsp;<a href="https://oa.mo.gov/sites/default/files/FY26_DSS_Appropriation_Book.pdf" target="_blank">request</a>&nbsp;states.&nbsp;

And the department faced scrutiny for its handling of missing foster kids.&nbsp;A federal&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/05/23/%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8Bfederal-watchdogs-report-sheds-new-light-on-scope-of-missouris-missing-foster-kids/">report</a>&nbsp;in 2022 found that there were 1,780 instances of foster kids going missing in Missouri over a two-and-a-half year period that spanned July 2018 to December 2020. The agency last year said it has<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-child-welfare-agency-reports-increased-efforts-to-find-missing-foster-kids/">&nbsp;increased efforts&nbsp;</a>to find missing foster kids.&nbsp;

Knodell said in an interview last week that one of the challenges as director has been balancing the desires of those who want as robust a safety net as possible with those who want to control costs.&nbsp;

“We try to build as strong a safety net as we can, being as responsible a steward of the resources that we have as possible,” he said. “But there is a push and a pull, and there are limits to what the government can do, but certainly we want to do the things that we’ve been tasked as efficiently and effectively as possible.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734542114236.png" alt="Jessica Bax, director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities, speaks during a March 8 House Budget Committee hearing with Department of Mental Health Director Valerie Huhn, center, and Molly Boeckman, director of administrative services (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Jessica Bax, director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities, speaks during a March 8 House Budget Committee hearing with Department of Mental Health Director Valerie Huhn, center, and Molly Boeckman, director of administrative services (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe announced Wednesday that he is appointing Jessica Bax as the next director of the Missouri Department of Social Services.Bax, who is currently the director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities for the Department of Mental Health, will become acting director of DSS effective Jan. 13. She will then need to be confirmed by the state Senate.&nbsp;“Jess brings valuable experience working with state and local agencies and successfully building partnerships with stakeholders to this role,” said Kehoe in a press release Wednesday.“With her extensive knowledge of social service programs, the budget and legislative process, and her passion for providing quality service to the people of Missouri, I am confident she will bring excellent leadership to the Department of Social Services,” Kehoe added.Prior to her time with the Department of Mental Health, Bax worked at the Department of Health and Senior Services as director of the Division of Senior and Disabilities Services.She will replace&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/17/leader-of-missouri-social-services-agency-stepping-down-for-new-job-in-poplar-bluff/">Robert Knodell,&nbsp;</a>who served in the role for three years and recently accepted a job to be the city manager of Poplar Bluff, his hometown.The Department of Social Services&nbsp;oversees foster care, Medicaid, other public assistance programs and services for delinquent youth.&nbsp;“I am humbled at the opportunity to serve in the Kehoe Administration and the people of Missouri in this capacity,” Bax said in a press release. “I look forward to working on streamlining operations, program integrity, and incorporating national best practices to help all Missourians have access to the tools they need to be safe and healthy.”&nbsp;Over the last few years, the agency has faced criticism for its administration of public benefits.&nbsp;A federal judge earlier this year&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/09/federal-court-rules-missourians-were-illegally-denied-food-aid-by-the-state/">ruled</a>&nbsp;Missourians were illegally denied food aid by the state due to hourslong call center wait times for participants to receive a required interview.&nbsp;The state has also struggled to meet federal guidelines for its processing of Medicaid applications. The department in its budget request to the state legislature is asking for $11 million to hire 220 new staff in the Family Support Division to help ensure the agency complies with federal and state rules on timely processing, and “maintains a reasonable wait time in the call centers,” the budget&nbsp;<a href="https://oa.mo.gov/sites/default/files/FY26_DSS_Appropriation_Book.pdf" target="_blank">request</a>&nbsp;states.&nbsp;And the department faced scrutiny for its handling of missing foster kids.&nbsp;A federal&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/05/23/%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8Bfederal-watchdogs-report-sheds-new-light-on-scope-of-missouris-missing-foster-kids/">report</a>&nbsp;in 2022 found that there were 1,780 instances of foster kids going missing in Missouri over a two-and-a-half year period that spanned July 2018 to December 2020. The agency last year said it has<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-child-welfare-agency-reports-increased-efforts-to-find-missing-foster-kids/">&nbsp;increased efforts&nbsp;</a>to find missing foster kids.&nbsp;Knodell said in an interview last week that one of the challenges as director has been balancing the desires of those who want as robust a safety net as possible with those who want to control costs.&nbsp;“We try to build as strong a safety net as we can, being as responsible a steward of the resources that we have as possible,” he said. “But there is a push and a pull, and there are limits to what the government can do, but certainly we want to do the things that we’ve been tasked as efficiently and effectively as possible.”

 Mike Kehoe appoints new leader for Missouri social services agency

NEW MADRID COUNTY —Four people died in an accident just after 4:30p.m Tuesday in New Madrid County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Jeep driven by a 41-year-old Lilbourn, Missouri, man was westbound on&nbsp;on Route U one half mile west of New Madrid.

The driver lost of the car. The vehicle crossed the center line and struck an eastbound 2004 Dodge Stratus driven by a 17-year-old Lilbourn, Missouri girl

Both drivers, a 1-year-old girl and a 4-year-old girl who were passengers in the Jeep were pronounced dead at the scene and transported to the New Madrid morgue. All four were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

NEW MADRID COUNTY —Four people died in an accident just after 4:30p.m Tuesday in New Madrid County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Jeep driven by a 41-year-old Lilbourn, Missouri, man was westbound on&nbsp;on Route U one half mile west of New Madrid.The driver lost of the car. The vehicle crossed the center line and struck an eastbound 2004 Dodge Stratus driven by a 17-year-old Lilbourn, Missouri girlBoth drivers, a 1-year-old girl and a 4-year-old girl who were passengers in the Jeep were pronounced dead at the scene and transported to the New Madrid morgue. All four were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Missouri man, 3 juveniles dead after car, jeep crash

KANSAS CITY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a fire in an apartment building in Kansas City.

Just after 9:30a.m. Tuesday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported apartment fire in the 100 block of West 39th Street in Kansas City, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

FIrst arriving crews reported smoke showing from the first floor of the three-story apartment building. Searches of the structure came back all clear. The first and third floors were vacant, however there were occupied apartments on the second floor. 

The damage was limited to the first-floor apartments. After an initial Red Cross request it was determined that the second-floor residence would be able to occupy their apartments after the electrical for the first floor was isolated.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734476281012.png" alt="Photos KC Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photos KC Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a fire in an apartment building in Kansas City.Just after 9:30a.m. Tuesday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported apartment fire in the 100 block of West 39th Street in Kansas City, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734476185880.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FIrst arriving crews reported smoke showing from the first floor of the three-story apartment building. Searches of the structure came back all clear. The first and third floors were vacant, however there were occupied apartments on the second floor. The damage was limited to the first-floor apartments. After an initial Red Cross request it was determined that the second-floor residence would be able to occupy their apartments after the electrical for the first floor was isolated.&nbsp;

Authorities investigate cause of KC apartment fire

BUTLER COUNTY —An employee of a Kansas school district is under investigation for an alleged sex crime involving a child aboard a school bus.

Just before 9a.m. Tuesday, administrators with USD 402 Augusta contacted police about an alleged sexual assault of a child by school district staff member, according to a media release from the Augusta Department of Public Safety.

The school district gave officers video they had just discovered which showed the assault that occurred on Monday aboard a school bus.

Police and school district officials identified the suspect as 73-year-old William A. Wetzel of Augusta. Police arrested him at a remote school facility where children were not present.&nbsp; Police booked Wetzel into the Butler County Jail on requested charges of aggravated indecent liberties of a child.

The circumstances and evidence gathered indicate this was an isolated incident, according to police. No other children were present at the time of the incident and police are not aware of any other victims.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734467161407.png" alt="Wetzel photo Butler County" />
 <figcaption>Wetzel photo Butler County</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY —An employee of a Kansas school district is under investigation for an alleged sex crime involving a child aboard a school bus.Just before 9a.m. Tuesday, administrators with USD 402 Augusta contacted police about an alleged sexual assault of a child by school district staff member, according to a media release from the Augusta Department of Public Safety.The school district gave officers video they had just discovered which showed the assault that occurred on Monday aboard a school bus.Police and school district officials identified the suspect as 73-year-old William A. Wetzel of Augusta. Police arrested him at a remote school facility where children were not present.&nbsp; Police booked Wetzel into the Butler County Jail on requested charges of aggravated indecent liberties of a child.The circumstances and evidence gathered indicate this was an isolated incident, according to police. No other children were present at the time of the incident and police are not aware of any other victims.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kan. school district discovers video of sex assault of student on bus

PHELPS COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after midnight Tuesday in Phelps County.

The Missouri State Patrol reported a 2022 Freightliner semi driven by a 47-year-old Norman, Oklahoma, man was westbound on Interstate 44 near Sugar Tree Road. The semi struck a 55-year-old pedestrian from Merriam Woods, Missouri who was walking in the road.&nbsp; &nbsp;Another unknown semi then struck the pedestrian.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene and was trasnsported to the county coroner. There were no other injuries reported.

PHELPS COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after midnight Tuesday in Phelps County.The Missouri State Patrol reported a 2022 Freightliner semi driven by a 47-year-old Norman, Oklahoma, man was westbound on Interstate 44 near Sugar Tree Road. The semi struck a 55-year-old pedestrian from Merriam Woods, Missouri who was walking in the road.&nbsp; &nbsp;Another unknown semi then struck the pedestrian.The man was pronounced dead at the scene and was trasnsported to the county coroner. There were no other injuries reported.

Missouri man dies after struck by two semi trucks

Washington, D.C. -&nbsp;U.S. Senator Roger Marshall who sits on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee met with President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Trumps choice to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation Kash Patel.

" I had a great meeting with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the next Secretary of Health and Human Services. I strongly support many of his goals, especially as it relates to Making America Healthy Again (MAHA). 

As a nation, we must prioritize addressing chronic disease, improving nutrition and food policy, ensuring vaccine and drug safety, empowering the physician-patient relationship, and leaving our world cleaner, safer, and healthier for future generations. I look forward to supporting his nomination and helping in the Trump Administration's mission to build a stronger and healthier America."

I had a great meeting with our next FBI Director

" Kash Patel is the man to turn things around and restore the FBI. He's a man of integrity, committed to truth and justice, with an exceptional resume. He will ensure the FBI is working to protect the American people instead of being politically weaponized against them.

Kansas Senior U.S. Senator also met with President Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence, former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734473282160.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Washington, D.C. -&nbsp;U.S. Senator Roger Marshall who sits on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee met with President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Trumps choice to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation Kash Patel." I had a great meeting with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the next Secretary of Health and Human Services. I strongly support many of his goals, especially as it relates to Making America Healthy Again (MAHA). As a nation, we must prioritize addressing chronic disease, improving nutrition and food policy, ensuring vaccine and drug safety, empowering the physician-patient relationship, and leaving our world cleaner, safer, and healthier for future generations. I look forward to supporting his nomination and helping in the Trump Administration's mission to build a stronger and healthier America."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734452495966.png" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>I had a great meeting with our next FBI Director" Kash Patel is the man to turn things around and restore the FBI. He's a man of integrity, committed to truth and justice, with an exceptional resume. He will ensure the FBI is working to protect the American people instead of being politically weaponized against them.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Always great to see my friend Senator <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JerryMoran</a> ! We discussed bringing strong leadership to the world stage under President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> and delivering on his America First peace through strength national security agenda. 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/PnHY0S8exH">pic.twitter.com/PnHY0S8exH</a>&mdash; Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) <a href="https://twitter.com/EliseStefanik/status/1869083134995931139?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kansas Senior U.S. Senator also met with President Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence, former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and

RFK Jr. met with Kansas U.S. Senator on Capitol Hill

A chiropractor from Albany has been appointed by Gov. Mike
Parson to become the Gentry County Coroner.

Parson has appointed Dr. Case Ruckman, owner of Albany Chiropractic as county coroner. Ruckman
previously served as a doctor for Albany Chiropractic.

Ruckman holds a Doctor
of Chiropractic from Logan College.&nbsp;

You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA chiropractor from Albany has been appointed by Gov. Mike
Parson to become the Gentry County Coroner.Parson has appointed Dr. Case Ruckman, owner of Albany Chiropractic as county coroner. Ruckman
previously served as a doctor for Albany Chiropractic.Ruckman holds a Doctor
of Chiropractic from Logan College.&nbsp;You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Chiropractor chosen as Gentry County Coroner

WASHINGTON, D.C.&nbsp;– U.S. Senator Jerry Moran delivered&nbsp;a&nbsp;keynote speech at the ceremony to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, Belgium.

The ceremony was held at the Battle of the Bulge Memorial in Bastogne and included WWII veterans from the Battle of the Bulge, Members of Congress and European leaders.

Sen. Moran also attended the 80th Anniversary ceremony at the Luxembourg American Cemetery where over 5,000 Americans are buried.“Eighty years after the Battle of the Bulge we remember the cost paid by those who died here,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran.&nbsp;“Time cannot dim the glory of their deeds.”

“There is a smaller memorial to the veterans of the Battle of the Bulge in Abilene, Kansas at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library that bears an inscription that I will end with here today, it reads: ‘let us be glad that such heroes have lived, and mourn those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.’

“Let us indeed be glad that such heroes have lived, and let us strive to live our lives in a manner worthy of their sacrifice.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734452772595.png" alt="Sen. Moran at the Luxembourg American Cemetery" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Moran at the Luxembourg American Cemetery</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON, D.C.&nbsp;– U.S. Senator Jerry Moran delivered&nbsp;a&nbsp;keynote speech at the ceremony to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, Belgium.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/55XDOpo2YN4?si=eO6dJspgTznTeNE8" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The ceremony was held at the Battle of the Bulge Memorial in Bastogne and included WWII veterans from the Battle of the Bulge, Members of Congress and European leaders.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734123059902.png" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Sen. Moran also attended the 80th Anniversary ceremony at the Luxembourg American Cemetery where over 5,000 Americans are buried.“Eighty years after the Battle of the Bulge we remember the cost paid by those who died here,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran.&nbsp;“Time cannot dim the glory of their deeds.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">We welcome <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nasa</a> Bill Nelson and Members of Congress to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in Luxembourg and Belgium. The sacrifices of brave <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWII?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWII</a> soldiers echo from the past, reminding us that each generation must continue the fight for freedom and… <a href="https://t.co/ae50RVceWL">pic.twitter.com/ae50RVceWL</a>&mdash; U.S. Embassy Luxembourg (@USEmbLuxembourg) <a href="https://twitter.com/USEmbLuxembourg/status/1867570544675090828?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“There is a smaller memorial to the veterans of the Battle of the Bulge in Abilene, Kansas at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library that bears an inscription that I will end with here today, it reads: ‘let us be glad that such heroes have lived, and mourn those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.’“Let us indeed be glad that such heroes have lived, and let us strive to live our lives in a manner worthy of their sacrifice.”

🎥Moran's remarks at 80th anniversary of Battle of the Bulge 

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are making an impact on shoplifting and theft during the holidays.

From December 9-13,&nbsp;Clay County Sheriff’s Office deputies partnered with Liberty, Missouri Police Department officers and retailers to identify and arrest shoplifters as soon as they’d committed their crimes&nbsp; in the retail area along Missouri Route 152 in Liberty, according to a media release.

"Operation Full Cart Press" resulted in the arrests of four people, three of whom have been charged. Charges were expected on the fourth suspect. 

Combined, the suspects stole nearly $900 worth of items, and one tried to flee from arrest. Deputies and Liberty officers staged around the area last week and swooped in as soon as stores reported thefts. They also were able to recover a stolen car during the course of the operation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734458065761.png" alt="Photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are making an impact on shoplifting and theft during the holidays.From December 9-13,&nbsp;Clay County Sheriff’s Office deputies partnered with Liberty, Missouri Police Department officers and retailers to identify and arrest shoplifters as soon as they’d committed their crimes&nbsp; in the retail area along Missouri Route 152 in Liberty, according to a media release."Operation Full Cart Press" resulted in the arrests of four people, three of whom have been charged. Charges were expected on the fourth suspect. Combined, the suspects stole nearly $900 worth of items, and one tried to flee from arrest. Deputies and Liberty officers staged around the area last week and swooped in as soon as stores reported thefts. They also were able to recover a stolen car during the course of the operation.

Deputies catch KC area shoplifters who took $900 in merchandise

WASHINGTON —There are more than one million drones lawfully registered with the FAA in the United States and there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones lawfully in the sky on any given day, according to a joint statement from Office of Homeland Security and the FBI.

With the technology landscape evolving, we expect that number to increase over time.FBI has received&nbsp;tips of more than 5,000 reported drone sightings in the last few weeks with approximately 100 leads generated, and the federal government is supporting state and local officials in investigating these reports. 

Consistent with each of our unique missions and authorities, we are quickly working to prioritize and follow these leads. We have sent advanced detection technology to the region. And we have sent trained visual observers.Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones. We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.

That said, we recognize the concern among many communities. We continue to support state and local authorities with advanced detection technology and support of law enforcement. We urge Congress to enact counter-UAS legislation when it reconvenes that would extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge.&nbsp;

Additionally, there have been a limited number of visual sightings of drones over military facilities in New Jersey and elsewhere, including within restricted air space. Such sightings near or over DoD installations are not new. 

DoD takes unauthorized access over its airspace seriously and coordinates closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities, as appropriate. Local commanders are actively engaged to ensure there are appropriate detection and mitigation measures in place.

WASHINGTON —There are more than one million drones lawfully registered with the FAA in the United States and there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones lawfully in the sky on any given day, according to a joint statement from Office of Homeland Security and the FBI.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President-elect Trump on drones: &quot;They happen to be over Bedminster. They&#39;re very close to Bedminster. I think maybe I won&#39;t spend the weekend in Bedminster. I&#39;ve decided to cancel my trip.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/twHoUM2lLw">pic.twitter.com/twHoUM2lLw</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1868835001409667172?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">DHS, <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBI</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/FAANews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FAANews</a>, and the <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofDefense?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeptofDefense</a> released the following joint statement on the ongoing response to reported drone sightings. ⤵️ <a href="https://t.co/ihGcGbjOEy">pic.twitter.com/ihGcGbjOEy</a>&mdash; Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1868853164151120317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>With the technology landscape evolving, we expect that number to increase over time.FBI has received&nbsp;tips of more than 5,000 reported drone sightings in the last few weeks with approximately 100 leads generated, and the federal government is supporting state and local officials in investigating these reports. Consistent with each of our unique missions and authorities, we are quickly working to prioritize and follow these leads. We have sent advanced detection technology to the region. And we have sent trained visual observers.Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones. We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.That said, we recognize the concern among many communities. We continue to support state and local authorities with advanced detection technology and support of law enforcement. We urge Congress to enact counter-UAS legislation when it reconvenes that would extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge.&nbsp;Additionally, there have been a limited number of visual sightings of drones over military facilities in New Jersey and elsewhere, including within restricted air space. Such sightings near or over DoD installations are not new. DoD takes unauthorized access over its airspace seriously and coordinates closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities, as appropriate. Local commanders are actively engaged to ensure there are appropriate detection and mitigation measures in place.

🎥Homeland Security, FBI and Trump issue new statements on drone mystery

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating the death of a juvenile in Kansas City have identified the victim as 15-year-old&nbsp;Tacobe Kindred.

Just after 5p.m. Sunday patrol officers were dispatched to the 3300 block of Bales in Kansas City on a reported shooting, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

First responders were directed to a home on the block. Inside they located a the boy suffering from a gunshot wound. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered emergency medical personnel to the scene.

 EMS transported Kindred to a local hospital where he died of his injuries.

Preliminary investigation revealed there was an argument at a birthday party that led to shots being fired and the victim ultimately being struck. Detectives canvassed the area for potential witnesses and crime scene investigators are gathered any available physical evidence.&nbsp;

Kansas City police asks anyone with information about the shooting to call police or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. There is a $25,000 reward for information provided through the TIPS Hotline that leads to an arrest in the case.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating the death of a juvenile in Kansas City have identified the victim as 15-year-old&nbsp;Tacobe Kindred.Just after 5p.m. Sunday patrol officers were dispatched to the 3300 block of Bales in Kansas City on a reported shooting, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.First responders were directed to a home on the block. Inside they located a the boy suffering from a gunshot wound. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered emergency medical personnel to the scene. EMS transported Kindred to a local hospital where he died of his injuries.Preliminary investigation revealed there was an argument at a birthday party that led to shots being fired and the victim ultimately being struck. Detectives canvassed the area for potential witnesses and crime scene investigators are gathered any available physical evidence.&nbsp;Kansas City police asks anyone with information about the shooting to call police or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. There is a $25,000 reward for information provided through the TIPS Hotline that leads to an arrest in the case.

Police ID boy killed during birthday party at home in Kansas City 

DAMASCUS —U.S. forces conducted precision airstrikes targeting known ISIS camps and operatives in Syria on Monday, killing 12 ISIS terrorists, according to a statement the U.S. Central Command.

The strikes against the ISIS leaders, operatives, and camps were conducted as part of the ongoing mission to disrupt, degrade, and defeat ISIS, preventing the terrorist group from conducting external operations and to ensure that ISIS does not seek opportunities to reconstitute in central Syria.

These recent strikes are in former Regime and Russian controlled areas ensuring pressure is maintained on ISIS. Battle damage assessments are underway, and there are no indications of civilian casualties.

“CENTCOM, working with allies and partners in the region, will not allow ISIS to reconstitute and take advantage of the current situation in Syria,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723583511919.png" alt="File photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>File photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>DAMASCUS —U.S. forces conducted precision airstrikes targeting known ISIS camps and operatives in Syria on Monday, killing 12 ISIS terrorists, according to a statement the U.S. Central Command.The strikes against the ISIS leaders, operatives, and camps were conducted as part of the ongoing mission to disrupt, degrade, and defeat ISIS, preventing the terrorist group from conducting external operations and to ensure that ISIS does not seek opportunities to reconstitute in central Syria.These recent strikes are in former Regime and Russian controlled areas ensuring pressure is maintained on ISIS. Battle damage assessments are underway, and there are no indications of civilian casualties.“CENTCOM, working with allies and partners in the region, will not allow ISIS to reconstitute and take advantage of the current situation in Syria,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla.

U.S. conducts airstrikes against ISIS operatives in Syria

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump pledged Monday to keep the polio vaccine available throughout his presidency, but didn’t extend that protection to other vaccines, saying he expects his administration will look closely at safety — something the U.S. Food and Drug Administration already does before granting approval.

Trump’s comments came during an hour-long press conference where he hinted at trying to privatize the Postal Service and said he planned to file a lawsuit against a presidential preference poll published by The Des Moines Register that found him trailing Vice President Kamala Harris in the last days before the election.

Trump, who will take the oath of office on Jan. 20, also said he would solve the war between Ukraine and Russia and establish the Middle East as a “good place,” though he declined to provide details.

“Starting on day one, we’ll implement a rapid series of bold reforms to restore our nation to full prosperity,” Trump said in his first formal back-and-forth with reporters since the Nov. 5 election. “We’re going to go full prosperity and to build the greatest economy the world has ever seen, just as we had just a short time ago.”

Trump said he expects Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the vaccine denier he has said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-taps-vaccine-skeptic-rfk-jr-lead-department-health-and-human-services" target="_blank">he will nominate&nbsp;</a>to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, will be “much less radical” than some people expect.

Trump said Kennedy and others in his administration will file reports sharing what they think about vaccines, but didn’t say what actions might be taken after those reports are released.

Trump said he didn’t like the idea of mandating vaccines, but didn’t go as far as saying he’d change vaccine policy for parts of the federal government, like the Defense Department, which has numerous requirements for troops, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.military.com/off-duty/2020/02/10/why-most-dreaded-injection-called-peanut-butter-shot.html" target="_blank">the so-called peanut butter shot.</a>

Kennedy is notorious for spreading misinformation about vaccine safety, one of the many issues that could imperil his attempts to garner U.S. Senate confirmation and actually lead HHS.

Trump said he wanted this administration to look at why autism rates have increased in recent decades.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/autism-vaccine-link-debunked" target="_blank">Multiple research studies have debunked&nbsp;</a>any connections between vaccines and autism.

His administration, Trump said, would also look at ways to lower the costs of health care and prescription drugs within the United States, but he didn’t provide details.

Trump doubled down on his grievances with news organizations during the press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, saying he planned to file several lawsuits in the days and weeks ahead against people or organizations he believes have wronged him.

The announcement came just days after Trump’s legal team&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68" target="_blank">reached a settlement with ABC News</a>&nbsp;in which the news organization agreed to pay $15 million to Trump’s presidential library.

The suit centered on anchor George Stephanopoulos saying during an interview that a New York state jury had found Trump liable for the rape of writer E. Jean Carroll, when the jury had found him civilly liable for “sexual misconduct.”

Trump said during his press conference that he would likely file lawsuits against Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer, the news show “60 Minutes” and the Pulitzer Prize organization for awards given to the New York Times and Washington Post.&nbsp;

“In my opinion it was fraud and election interference,” he said of the Iowa Poll published by the Des Moines newspaper. “She’s got me right, always. She’s a very good pollster. She knows what she was doing, and she then quit before and we’ll probably be filing a major lawsuit against them today or tomorrow.”

Selzer, a longtime pollster, said last week on Iowa PBS that she hadn’t yet figured out what went wrong with the poll she released just ahead of Election Day that showed Democratic presidential nominee Harris outperforming Trump in the state by 3 percentage points. Trump won Iowa in the election with 56% of the vote to her 42.7%.

“There wasn’t anything that we saw that needed to be fixed. The reality is that more people supporting Donald Trump turned out,” she said. “I’m eagerly awaiting the secretary of state’s turnout reports that will happen in January to see what we can glean from that.

“But there wasn’t an adjustment to my data when we saw that it was going to be a shocker that I would have said okay, let’s adjust it. It’s not like I know ahead of time what the right numbers are going to be in the future. So, you kind of take the data designed to reveal to me our best shot at what the future is going to look like.”

Selzer said during the PBS interview that she was “mystified” about allegations that she sought to interfere in the election results through the poll. Carol Hunter, executive editor of The Des Moines Register, could not be reached for comment.

Trump said he also planned to sue the CBS News program “60 Minutes” over how it edited an interview with Harris that was released before the election.

He said he wants to sue the Pulitzer Prize organization&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/staffs-new-york-times-and-washington-post" target="_blank">for awarding&nbsp;</a>staff at The New York Times and The Washington Post the national reporting award in 2018 for their reporting on “Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its connections to the Trump campaign, the President-elect’s transition team and his eventual administration.”

“I want them to take back the Pulitzer Prizes and pay big damages,” Trump said.

The Pulitzer Prize Board&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pulitzer.org/news/statement-pulitzer-prize-board-2" target="_blank">announced in July 2022</a>&nbsp;that it would not revoke the prizes in response to an inquiry from Trump and two independent reviews of the work.

“Both reviews were conducted by individuals with no connection to the institutions whose work was under examination, nor any connection to each other,” the board wrote. “The separate reviews converged in their conclusions: that no passages or headlines, contentions or assertions in any of the winning submissions were discredited by facts that emerged subsequent to the conferral of the prizes.

“The 2018 Pulitzer Prizes in National Reporting stand.”

Trump said during his press conference that he would address the ongoing Israel-Gaza war as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine once he takes office, but didn’t say exactly how he’d encourage those countries to end their conflicts.

Trump said he believed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing a “fantastic job” and said he thinks his second administration will be able to solve longstanding issues throughout the Middle East.

“I think the Middle East will be in a good place,” Trump said. “I think actually more difficult is going to be the Russia-Ukraine situation. I see that as more difficult.”

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and has refused to leave the country’s borders. In the years since Russia launched a war, numerous organizations, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/10/un-commission-concludes-war-crimes-have-been-committed-ukraine-expresses" target="_blank">United Nations,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/11/ukraine-russian-strikes-amounting-to-war-crimes-continue-to-kill-and-injure-children/" target="_blank">Amnesty International</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/04/03/ukraine-apparent-war-crimes-russia-controlled-areas" target="_blank">Human Rights Watch</a>&nbsp;have all made allegations of war crimes against Russia.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/crimes-against-humanity-in-ukraine/" target="_blank">statement</a>&nbsp;in February 2023 that “Russia’s forces and other Russian officials have committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine.”

Russia, he wrote, had engaged in torture, rape, execution-style killings and “deported hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian civilians to Russia, including children who have been forcibly separated from their families.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Trump said during his press conference that he didn’t believe the Biden administration should have allowed Ukraine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-52d424158182de2044ecc8bfcf011f9c" target="_blank">to shoot long-range missiles into Russia’s sovereign territory&nbsp;</a>and said he may reverse the policy once in office.

“I thought it was a very stupid thing to do,” Trump said of the Biden administration’s policy.&nbsp;

On the Israel-Hamas war, Trump declined to clarify exactly what he meant when he said there would be “hell to pay” if Hamas had not released the remaining hostages abducted in October 2023 before Trump took over the Oval Office. He simply added that it “would not be pleasant.”

Postal Service, TikTok, primary challengers

Trump left many questions about his agenda unanswered following the press conference.

He declined to clarify whether he would press to privatize the U.S. Postal Service, saying only that there was “talk” about severing the agency and that his team is “looking at that.”

He didn’t divulge whether his administration would seek to force social media giant TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company if it wants to remain operational within the United States. TikTok on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-appeals-court-upholds-rapidly-approaching-tiktok-ban" target="_blank">an appeals court order</a>&nbsp;preserving a bipartisan law forcing ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to cease operations in the United States.

“We’ll take a look at that,” Trump said.

He left open supporting Republican primary challenges against GOP senators who don’t support his nominees to lead federal departments and agencies.

A senator voting against one of his nominees “for political reasons or stupid reasons” would likely earn them a primary challenger, he said. But Trump added that wouldn’t have anything to do with him.

Trump also declined to say whether he expected Chinese leader Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration after extending an invitation.

“If he’d like to come, I’d love to have him, but there’s been nothing much discussed,” Trump said. “I have had discussions with him, letters, etc, etc, at a very high level. You know, we had a very good relationship until COVID. COVID didn’t end the relationship, but it was a bridge too far for me.”

Trump then added he believes Xi is “an amazing person.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch reporter Robin Opsahl contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734381784631.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump pledged Monday to keep the polio vaccine available throughout his presidency, but didn’t extend that protection to other vaccines, saying he expects his administration will look closely at safety — something the U.S. Food and Drug Administration already does before granting approval.Trump’s comments came during an hour-long press conference where he hinted at trying to privatize the Postal Service and said he planned to file a lawsuit against a presidential preference poll published by The Des Moines Register that found him trailing Vice President Kamala Harris in the last days before the election.Trump, who will take the oath of office on Jan. 20, also said he would solve the war between Ukraine and Russia and establish the Middle East as a “good place,” though he declined to provide details.“Starting on day one, we’ll implement a rapid series of bold reforms to restore our nation to full prosperity,” Trump said in his first formal back-and-forth with reporters since the Nov. 5 election. “We’re going to go full prosperity and to build the greatest economy the world has ever seen, just as we had just a short time ago.”Trump said he expects Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the vaccine denier he has said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-taps-vaccine-skeptic-rfk-jr-lead-department-health-and-human-services" target="_blank">he will nominate&nbsp;</a>to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, will be “much less radical” than some people expect.Trump said Kennedy and others in his administration will file reports sharing what they think about vaccines, but didn’t say what actions might be taken after those reports are released.Trump said he didn’t like the idea of mandating vaccines, but didn’t go as far as saying he’d change vaccine policy for parts of the federal government, like the Defense Department, which has numerous requirements for troops, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.military.com/off-duty/2020/02/10/why-most-dreaded-injection-called-peanut-butter-shot.html" target="_blank">the so-called peanut butter shot.</a>Kennedy is notorious for spreading misinformation about vaccine safety, one of the many issues that could imperil his attempts to garner U.S. Senate confirmation and actually lead HHS.Trump said he wanted this administration to look at why autism rates have increased in recent decades.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/autism-vaccine-link-debunked" target="_blank">Multiple research studies have debunked&nbsp;</a>any connections between vaccines and autism.His administration, Trump said, would also look at ways to lower the costs of health care and prescription drugs within the United States, but he didn’t provide details.<h2>Lawsuit threats</h2>Trump doubled down on his grievances with news organizations during the press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, saying he planned to file several lawsuits in the days and weeks ahead against people or organizations he believes have wronged him.The announcement came just days after Trump’s legal team&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68" target="_blank">reached a settlement with ABC News</a>&nbsp;in which the news organization agreed to pay $15 million to Trump’s presidential library.The suit centered on anchor George Stephanopoulos saying during an interview that a New York state jury had found Trump liable for the rape of writer E. Jean Carroll, when the jury had found him civilly liable for “sexual misconduct.”Trump said during his press conference that he would likely file lawsuits against Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer, the news show “60 Minutes” and the Pulitzer Prize organization for awards given to the New York Times and Washington Post.&nbsp;“In my opinion it was fraud and election interference,” he said of the Iowa Poll published by the Des Moines newspaper. “She’s got me right, always. She’s a very good pollster. She knows what she was doing, and she then quit before and we’ll probably be filing a major lawsuit against them today or tomorrow.”Selzer, a longtime pollster, said last week on Iowa PBS that she hadn’t yet figured out what went wrong with the poll she released just ahead of Election Day that showed Democratic presidential nominee Harris outperforming Trump in the state by 3 percentage points. Trump won Iowa in the election with 56% of the vote to her 42.7%.“There wasn’t anything that we saw that needed to be fixed. The reality is that more people supporting Donald Trump turned out,” she said. “I’m eagerly awaiting the secretary of state’s turnout reports that will happen in January to see what we can glean from that.“But there wasn’t an adjustment to my data when we saw that it was going to be a shocker that I would have said okay, let’s adjust it. It’s not like I know ahead of time what the right numbers are going to be in the future. So, you kind of take the data designed to reveal to me our best shot at what the future is going to look like.”Selzer said during the PBS interview that she was “mystified” about allegations that she sought to interfere in the election results through the poll. Carol Hunter, executive editor of The Des Moines Register, could not be reached for comment.Trump said he also planned to sue the CBS News program “60 Minutes” over how it edited an interview with Harris that was released before the election.He said he wants to sue the Pulitzer Prize organization&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/staffs-new-york-times-and-washington-post" target="_blank">for awarding&nbsp;</a>staff at The New York Times and The Washington Post the national reporting award in 2018 for their reporting on “Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its connections to the Trump campaign, the President-elect’s transition team and his eventual administration.”“I want them to take back the Pulitzer Prizes and pay big damages,” Trump said.The Pulitzer Prize Board&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pulitzer.org/news/statement-pulitzer-prize-board-2" target="_blank">announced in July 2022</a>&nbsp;that it would not revoke the prizes in response to an inquiry from Trump and two independent reviews of the work.“Both reviews were conducted by individuals with no connection to the institutions whose work was under examination, nor any connection to each other,” the board wrote. “The separate reviews converged in their conclusions: that no passages or headlines, contentions or assertions in any of the winning submissions were discredited by facts that emerged subsequent to the conferral of the prizes.“The 2018 Pulitzer Prizes in National Reporting stand.”<h2>Israel and Ukraine</h2>Trump said during his press conference that he would address the ongoing Israel-Gaza war as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine once he takes office, but didn’t say exactly how he’d encourage those countries to end their conflicts.Trump said he believed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing a “fantastic job” and said he thinks his second administration will be able to solve longstanding issues throughout the Middle East.“I think the Middle East will be in a good place,” Trump said. “I think actually more difficult is going to be the Russia-Ukraine situation. I see that as more difficult.”Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and has refused to leave the country’s borders. In the years since Russia launched a war, numerous organizations, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/10/un-commission-concludes-war-crimes-have-been-committed-ukraine-expresses" target="_blank">United Nations,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/11/ukraine-russian-strikes-amounting-to-war-crimes-continue-to-kill-and-injure-children/" target="_blank">Amnesty International</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/04/03/ukraine-apparent-war-crimes-russia-controlled-areas" target="_blank">Human Rights Watch</a>&nbsp;have all made allegations of war crimes against Russia.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/crimes-against-humanity-in-ukraine/" target="_blank">statement</a>&nbsp;in February 2023 that “Russia’s forces and other Russian officials have committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine.”Russia, he wrote, had engaged in torture, rape, execution-style killings and “deported hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian civilians to Russia, including children who have been forcibly separated from their families.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Trump said during his press conference that he didn’t believe the Biden administration should have allowed Ukraine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-52d424158182de2044ecc8bfcf011f9c" target="_blank">to shoot long-range missiles into Russia’s sovereign territory&nbsp;</a>and said he may reverse the policy once in office.“I thought it was a very stupid thing to do,” Trump said of the Biden administration’s policy.&nbsp;On the Israel-Hamas war, Trump declined to clarify exactly what he meant when he said there would be “hell to pay” if Hamas had not released the remaining hostages abducted in October 2023 before Trump took over the Oval Office. He simply added that it “would not be pleasant.”<h2>Postal Service, TikTok, primary challengers</h2>Trump left many questions about his agenda unanswered following the press conference.He declined to clarify whether he would press to privatize the U.S. Postal Service, saying only that there was “talk” about severing the agency and that his team is “looking at that.”He didn’t divulge whether his administration would seek to force social media giant TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company if it wants to remain operational within the United States. TikTok on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-appeals-court-upholds-rapidly-approaching-tiktok-ban" target="_blank">an appeals court order</a>&nbsp;preserving a bipartisan law forcing ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to cease operations in the United States.“We’ll take a look at that,” Trump said.He left open supporting Republican primary challenges against GOP senators who don’t support his nominees to lead federal departments and agencies.A senator voting against one of his nominees “for political reasons or stupid reasons” would likely earn them a primary challenger, he said. But Trump added that wouldn’t have anything to do with him.Trump also declined to say whether he expected Chinese leader Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration after extending an invitation.“If he’d like to come, I’d love to have him, but there’s been nothing much discussed,” Trump said. “I have had discussions with him, letters, etc, etc, at a very high level. You know, we had a very good relationship until COVID. COVID didn’t end the relationship, but it was a bridge too far for me.”Trump then added he believes Xi is “an amazing person.”Iowa Capital Dispatch reporter Robin Opsahl contributed to this report.

Trump at press conference backs polio vaccine but won’t commit to others, attacks media

HARVEY COUNTY — A man is dead after a weekend hunting accident south of Burrton.

The Harvey County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched Saturday at 7:10 a.m. to the 8200 block of South Prairie Lake Road.

Reports indicated three people were hunting in a duck blind when one individual accidentally discharged a shotgun. The gunshot fatally wounded one hunter. No one else was injured.

Aaron Snook, 41, of Goddard, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Sheriff’s Office has concluded its investigation, ruling the death accidental. No foul play was suspected.

HARVEY COUNTY —A man died in a hunting accident on Saturday in Harvey County.

The man was&nbsp;was shot by another person he was hunting with south of Burrton, according to Harvey County spokesman Kyle McCaskey.

 The man was pronounced dead at the scene. The death was ruled accidental, according to McCaskey.&nbsp; Authorities released no additional details including the name of the victim.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

HARVEY COUNTY — A man is dead after a weekend hunting accident south of Burrton.The Harvey County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched Saturday at 7:10 a.m. to the 8200 block of South Prairie Lake Road.Reports indicated three people were hunting in a duck blind when one individual accidentally discharged a shotgun. The gunshot fatally wounded one hunter. No one else was injured.Aaron Snook, 41, of Goddard, was pronounced dead at the scene.The Sheriff’s Office has concluded its investigation, ruling the death accidental. No foul play was suspected.-----------HARVEY COUNTY —A man died in a hunting accident on Saturday in Harvey County.The man was&nbsp;was shot by another person he was hunting with south of Burrton, according to Harvey County spokesman Kyle McCaskey. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. The death was ruled accidental, according to McCaskey.&nbsp; Authorities released no additional details including the name of the victim.Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

Sheriff IDs Kansas man who died in hunting accident

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a homicide in Topeka have made an arrest.

have released the name of the victim as 45-year-old David Bentley, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols

Just before&nbsp;11:30 p.m. Wednesday, Police responded to the 2000 Block of SW Stone for a check welfare on an individual.

First responders found 45-year-old David Bentley suffering from a gun shot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by medical personnel.

As a result of the investigation, Colton G. Miller, 27, Topeka was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections and is being held on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree, Unlawful to acquire proceeds from a drug transaction, Use of communication facility in commission of a felony drug violation and Distribute controlled substance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734368304027.png" alt="Miller photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Miller photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a homicide in Topeka have made an arrest.have released the name of the victim as 45-year-old David Bentley, according to police spokesperson Rosie NicholsJust before&nbsp;11:30 p.m. Wednesday, Police responded to the 2000 Block of SW Stone for a check welfare on an individual.First responders found 45-year-old David Bentley suffering from a gun shot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by medical personnel.As a result of the investigation, Colton G. Miller, 27, Topeka was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections and is being held on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree, Unlawful to acquire proceeds from a drug transaction, Use of communication facility in commission of a felony drug violation and Distribute controlled substance.

Suspect jailed for murder of Kansas man

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/caseyquinlan/">CASEY QUINLAN</a>

A rise in food prices makes for a less than merry holiday season.

Grocery prices rose 0.4% in November,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.t02.htm" target="_blank">according to</a>&nbsp;the Consumer Price Index, released this week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Eggs made one of the biggest jumps at 8.2% over the month, and 37.5% over the past year, providing challenges for people trying to eat a somewhat cheaper protein and families cooking holiday foods such as sugar cookies and challah.

Although the increase in food prices has moderated a bit from past years, they are still more than 20% higher than they were before the pandemic, according to David Ortega, at Michigan State University.

“It was a key issue in the election in terms of people really feeling that sticker shock at the grocery store,” said Ortega, a food economist.

President-elect Donald Trump vowed to bring down prices during his campaign and blamed the Biden administration for how they reached this point. But in an&nbsp;<a href="https://time.com/7201565/person-of-the-year-2024-donald-trump-transcript/" target="_blank">interview with</a>&nbsp;TIME published last week, Trump said he does not believe his presidency would be a failure if grocery prices do not come down.

“It’s hard to bring things down once they’re up,” he said.

Price changes to understand before you set the holiday table

The increase in grocery, or food at home prices, was partly driven by the rise in egg and beef prices, Ortega said. He said the price of holiday roast has been affected by drought and high feed prices. This year, the inventory of beef cattle was the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fb.org/market-intel/u-s-cattle-inventory-smallest-in-73-years#:~:text=1%2C%202024%2C%20was%2028.2%20million,U.S.%20beef%20herd%20since%201951." target="_blank">smallest beef herd</a>&nbsp;since 1951.

“On eggs, the story continues to be bird flu together with increased consumer demand given the holiday season,” he said following Wednesday’s release of the latest Consumer Price Index. “And for beef the issue is supply — high input costs and decisions that beef producers made a couple of years back when they were facing drought and high feed prices which has reduced beef supply, and this in turn is affecting beef prices.”

The latest food price numbers presented a mixed bag for holiday shoppers looking to bake treats this month. Flour and prepared four mixes fell 1% and bread decreased 1.3%, while sugar and sweets rose 0.2%, and butter ticked up 1.5%.

Oranges, including the popular stocking stuffers tangerines, fell 1.8% in the latest Consumer Price Index report.

The rise in cost of eating your meals at home compared to the rise in cost of eating out is also getting narrower, with the gap in inflation between restaurant menu prices and grocery year-over-year prices being the narrowest it has been since May 2023,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supermarketnews.com/consumer-trends/retail-food-inflation-outpaced-restaurant-menu-prices-for-2nd-time-in-three-months" target="_blank">according to</a>&nbsp;Supermarket News. Food at home in previous reports rose 0.2% and 0.4% compared to 0.2% and 0.3% for the past two food away from home reports.

Are companies profiting off uncertain times?

Rakeen Mabud, chief economist at the Groundwork Collective, a left-of-center economic think tank, said that just a few seed producers, meatpackers, and grocers dominate the food industry, which is a key part of the story of what drives grocery prices. This hurts lower-income shoppers the hardest. Oklahoma, Iowa, and Arkansas are some of the states&nbsp;<a href="https://grocerygapatlas.rafiusa.org/posts/market-dominance" target="_blank">most dominated</a>&nbsp;by a single grocer, such as Walmart or Hy-Vee.

“Across the food and grocery industry, we have a sector that is deeply consolidated,” Mabud said.&nbsp; … And so when you have big companies controlling such large chunks of the market, we know that they have used things like inflation, things like supply chain shocks to jack up prices far beyond what their input costs to justify.”

Mabud said that when there is this level of market concentration, companies can signal to each other in earnings calls that they are going to start raising prices.

“If you know that your only other competitors are also raising prices, there’s kind of no reason for you to try to undercut them if you both hold giant shares of a market,” she said.

An economic paper published this year&nbsp;<a href="https://scholarworks.umass.edu/entities/publication/c7155aaf-40b6-4da4-8d36-15556100ee7e" target="_blank">found</a>&nbsp;that companies are able to coordinate price increases around cost shocks and increase profits from these events. Mabud said the holidays provide plenty of opportunity for the food industry to raise prices on things people ordinarily don’t buy and don’t have a price comparison for during a less in-demand season.

“Grocers and the food industry kind of know that they know that they have more information about the underlying cost of a good than a consumer who only comes to buy the Christmas ham once a year. And so they can take advantage of that,” she said.

Economists are watching out for how the next administration will impact food prices.

Trump’s promise to impose&nbsp;<a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2024/12/02/donald-trump-promised-to-bring-down-prices-but-experts-say-his-tariff-plans-will-do-the-opposite/" target="_blank">heavy tariffs</a>&nbsp;on the U.S.’s biggest trading partners – Mexico, Canada and China – are expected to drive up the cost of everything, including groceries.

Products the U.S. can’t produce year round, like fruit and coffee, will be affected, Ortega said.

“There’s still a lot of uncertainty in terms of whether these tariffs are really going to be implemented or are they a negotiating tool? But that creates a lot of uncertainty,” he said. “Even that amount of uncertainty can lead to a rise in costs as companies prepare for the potential of these tariffs taking place.”

Trump’s expected policy of mass deportation of immigrants will also affect the agriculture industry, in addition to the major human rights implications.

“If there’s a mass deportation that is a shock to the labor supply and the agricultural sector. And that will lead to an increase in costs as producers and companies have to offer higher wages to attract enough labor. Ultimately that gets passed down to the consumer in the form of higher prices,” Ortega said.

Mabud is also concerned that expected tariffs could mean companies take advantage of the policy change well beyond the actual financial impact to their business.

“It’s a policy change where consumers don’t necessarily know how much the price of an avocado is going up because of a tariff versus a supply chain issue versus the grocery store just wanting to increase the price,” she said.

Patricia “Pogo” Overmeyer, 65, who works as a lawyer in Arizona and lives with her retired husband, said she has always been focused on how to save money on groceries. But she said she has become even more thrifty since inflation worsened.

She said she’s been using more meatless meals and stocks up on holiday food all year round when prices are low, some of which she freezes and cans.

“Once I retire, our income will not be as high,” she said, “Most likely I will forgo some foods or make substitutions. It’s anyone’s guess as to what we will be paying for groceries.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673438313098.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/caseyquinlan/">CASEY QUINLAN</a>A rise in food prices makes for a less than merry holiday season.Grocery prices rose 0.4% in November,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.t02.htm" target="_blank">according to</a>&nbsp;the Consumer Price Index, released this week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.Eggs made one of the biggest jumps at 8.2% over the month, and 37.5% over the past year, providing challenges for people trying to eat a somewhat cheaper protein and families cooking holiday foods such as sugar cookies and challah.Although the increase in food prices has moderated a bit from past years, they are still more than 20% higher than they were before the pandemic, according to David Ortega, at Michigan State University.“It was a key issue in the election in terms of people really feeling that sticker shock at the grocery store,” said Ortega, a food economist.President-elect Donald Trump vowed to bring down prices during his campaign and blamed the Biden administration for how they reached this point. But in an&nbsp;<a href="https://time.com/7201565/person-of-the-year-2024-donald-trump-transcript/" target="_blank">interview with</a>&nbsp;TIME published last week, Trump said he does not believe his presidency would be a failure if grocery prices do not come down.“It’s hard to bring things down once they’re up,” he said.<h2>Price changes to understand before you set the holiday table</h2>The increase in grocery, or food at home prices, was partly driven by the rise in egg and beef prices, Ortega said. He said the price of holiday roast has been affected by drought and high feed prices. This year, the inventory of beef cattle was the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fb.org/market-intel/u-s-cattle-inventory-smallest-in-73-years#:~:text=1%2C%202024%2C%20was%2028.2%20million,U.S.%20beef%20herd%20since%201951." target="_blank">smallest beef herd</a>&nbsp;since 1951.“On eggs, the story continues to be bird flu together with increased consumer demand given the holiday season,” he said following Wednesday’s release of the latest Consumer Price Index. “And for beef the issue is supply — high input costs and decisions that beef producers made a couple of years back when they were facing drought and high feed prices which has reduced beef supply, and this in turn is affecting beef prices.”The latest food price numbers presented a mixed bag for holiday shoppers looking to bake treats this month. Flour and prepared four mixes fell 1% and bread decreased 1.3%, while sugar and sweets rose 0.2%, and butter ticked up 1.5%.Oranges, including the popular stocking stuffers tangerines, fell 1.8% in the latest Consumer Price Index report.The rise in cost of eating your meals at home compared to the rise in cost of eating out is also getting narrower, with the gap in inflation between restaurant menu prices and grocery year-over-year prices being the narrowest it has been since May 2023,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supermarketnews.com/consumer-trends/retail-food-inflation-outpaced-restaurant-menu-prices-for-2nd-time-in-three-months" target="_blank">according to</a>&nbsp;Supermarket News. Food at home in previous reports rose 0.2% and 0.4% compared to 0.2% and 0.3% for the past two food away from home reports.<h2>Are companies profiting off uncertain times?</h2>Rakeen Mabud, chief economist at the Groundwork Collective, a left-of-center economic think tank, said that just a few seed producers, meatpackers, and grocers dominate the food industry, which is a key part of the story of what drives grocery prices. This hurts lower-income shoppers the hardest. Oklahoma, Iowa, and Arkansas are some of the states&nbsp;<a href="https://grocerygapatlas.rafiusa.org/posts/market-dominance" target="_blank">most dominated</a>&nbsp;by a single grocer, such as Walmart or Hy-Vee.“Across the food and grocery industry, we have a sector that is deeply consolidated,” Mabud said.&nbsp; … And so when you have big companies controlling such large chunks of the market, we know that they have used things like inflation, things like supply chain shocks to jack up prices far beyond what their input costs to justify.”Mabud said that when there is this level of market concentration, companies can signal to each other in earnings calls that they are going to start raising prices.“If you know that your only other competitors are also raising prices, there’s kind of no reason for you to try to undercut them if you both hold giant shares of a market,” she said.An economic paper published this year&nbsp;<a href="https://scholarworks.umass.edu/entities/publication/c7155aaf-40b6-4da4-8d36-15556100ee7e" target="_blank">found</a>&nbsp;that companies are able to coordinate price increases around cost shocks and increase profits from these events. Mabud said the holidays provide plenty of opportunity for the food industry to raise prices on things people ordinarily don’t buy and don’t have a price comparison for during a less in-demand season.“Grocers and the food industry kind of know that they know that they have more information about the underlying cost of a good than a consumer who only comes to buy the Christmas ham once a year. And so they can take advantage of that,” she said.<h2>An unhappy new year for grocery shoppers</h2>Economists are watching out for how the next administration will impact food prices.Trump’s promise to impose&nbsp;<a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2024/12/02/donald-trump-promised-to-bring-down-prices-but-experts-say-his-tariff-plans-will-do-the-opposite/" target="_blank">heavy tariffs</a>&nbsp;on the U.S.’s biggest trading partners – Mexico, Canada and China – are expected to drive up the cost of everything, including groceries.Products the U.S. can’t produce year round, like fruit and coffee, will be affected, Ortega said.“There’s still a lot of uncertainty in terms of whether these tariffs are really going to be implemented or are they a negotiating tool? But that creates a lot of uncertainty,” he said. “Even that amount of uncertainty can lead to a rise in costs as companies prepare for the potential of these tariffs taking place.”Trump’s expected policy of mass deportation of immigrants will also affect the agriculture industry, in addition to the major human rights implications.“If there’s a mass deportation that is a shock to the labor supply and the agricultural sector. And that will lead to an increase in costs as producers and companies have to offer higher wages to attract enough labor. Ultimately that gets passed down to the consumer in the form of higher prices,” Ortega said.Mabud is also concerned that expected tariffs could mean companies take advantage of the policy change well beyond the actual financial impact to their business.“It’s a policy change where consumers don’t necessarily know how much the price of an avocado is going up because of a tariff versus a supply chain issue versus the grocery store just wanting to increase the price,” she said.Patricia “Pogo” Overmeyer, 65, who works as a lawyer in Arizona and lives with her retired husband, said she has always been focused on how to save money on groceries. But she said she has become even more thrifty since inflation worsened.She said she’s been using more meatless meals and stocks up on holiday food all year round when prices are low, some of which she freezes and cans.“Once I retire, our income will not be as high,” she said, “Most likely I will forgo some foods or make substitutions. It’s anyone’s guess as to what we will be paying for groceries.”

US Grocery Prices – and Eggs in Particular – Climb Heading into Holiday Season

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating the death of a juvenile in Kansas City.

First responders were directed to a home on the block. Inside they located a juvenile male victim suffering from a gunshot wound. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered emergency medical personnel to the scene.

 EMS transported the victim to a local hospital where he died of his injuries.

Preliminary investigation revealed there was an argument that led to shots being fired and the victim ultimately being struck. Detectives canvassed the area for potential witnesses and crime scene investigators are gathered any available physical evidence.&nbsp; The name of the victim has not been released. Police have not reported an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734317845598.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating the death of a juvenile in Kansas City.Just after 5p.m. Sunday patrol officers were dispatched to the 3300 block of Bales in Kansas City on a reported shooting, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.First responders were directed to a home on the block. Inside they located a juvenile male victim suffering from a gunshot wound. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered emergency medical personnel to the scene. EMS transported the victim to a local hospital where he died of his injuries.Preliminary investigation revealed there was an argument that led to shots being fired and the victim ultimately being struck. Detectives canvassed the area for potential witnesses and crime scene investigators are gathered any available physical evidence.&nbsp; The name of the victim has not been released. Police have not reported an arrest.

Police: Argument led to death of juvenile at KC home

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an alleged theft in Riley County.

Just before 10:30a.m. Friday, officers filed a report of theft in the 500 block of Richards Drive, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

A 30-year-old man reported he agreed to donate $5 to a charitable cause but his credit card was charged $6,000. 

Total loss associated with this report is $6,000. Anyone with information can contact&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rileycountypolice.org/287/Crime-Stoppers">Crime Stoppers</a>. Using Crime Stoppers allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an alleged theft in Riley County.Just before 10:30a.m. Friday, officers filed a report of theft in the 500 block of Richards Drive, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.A 30-year-old man reported he agreed to donate $5 to a charitable cause but his credit card was charged $6,000. Total loss associated with this report is $6,000. Anyone with information can contact&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rileycountypolice.org/287/Crime-Stoppers">Crime Stoppers</a>. Using Crime Stoppers allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.